


Remnant Embers

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Series: Blaze of Remnant [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, RWBY
Genre: A certain someone is at fault for everything, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Leopard Faunus Hayato, Oh hey angst!, Oscar is Tsuna reincarnated, Owl Faunus Chrome, Papa Sho-chan is overprotective, Qrow doesn't say it but he misses Leon, RWBY with Flames, Reincarnation, Ryohei is in vacuo, Skylark Faunus Kyoya, Snake Faunus Mukuro, Sun Penny, Tri-ni-sette Trio, more first gen shenanigans, no clear order of chapters, so is hana and kyoko, some surprise characters, there's another set of surprise characters involved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-03-21 16:37:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 10,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13744995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: A set of interconnected short stories related to Burning Remnants, coupling from first awakenings to different characters within the timeline. With their flames and memories in play, how different or similar did their lives turn out?(Last Update: 25/7/2018  ITS ALIVE - Have a True Rebirths Chapter guys!)





	1. First Awakening - Huginn and Muninn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pestering me to write more in the Burning Remnants Universe apparently works well. Here's chapter 1 of this interconnected short story series!

When Reborn wakes, it is to a new world, a different set of memories, and  _fucking magic_. He doesn't say anything, remembering very well that it had been his own choice this time. To be transformed, turned into something  _more_. He turns to his sister, his twin (And hell that was a strange thought), but sees horror in her eyes despite the fact that she had schooled expression to show nothing.

It is when they leave Ozpin's office and are finally alone, that Raven breaks, and perhaps reveals something Reborn had  _not expected_.

"Damnit!" She curses, "How. How the fuck did I let a Checkerface lookalike talk me into getting tranformed again?!"

Reborn blinks, and asks, "Which Arcobaleno were you?"

"You... know. That means you have a past life..." his sister stares at him as she continues her train of thought. "In the mafia... and you have Sun Flames. And you know who I mean by Checkerface. That means you are either, Lussaria, Ryohei, or... Reborn. And only one of them uses firearms."

She glares. Reborn shrugs, "Reborn."

Raven sighs, "Well... at least it is you."

The furl of Rain flames mixed with a tinge of Mist and Cloud tickles his senses, and Reborn breathes sharply, "Lal?"

And suddenly her horrified eyes in the wake of their transformation makes so much more sense. After all, Lal Mirch had been the worst off when hit by the Arcobaleno curse, her primary Rain Flames fractured and inaccessible, leaving only her Mist and Cloud available.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes there will be more on the way!
> 
> Kiri Kaitou Clover


	2. Awakening and Fading - A Scattered Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. Here's the second chapter so soon. Be happy! Or depressed. This one is sad...

Summer Rose lies on a snow covered ground, bleeding to death. She had known this would happen at some point, but so soon?! Ruby is still too young, and Yang still needs a mother! She will not die, not yet!

But, Summer knows her death is inevitable, as the flickering embers of her Sky Flames bring not only her memories, but a vision of the future.

Aria cries. Her daughter, Ruby _Uni_ Ruby, will grow up without her by her side, will be burdened by the heritage they had, by their Silver Eyes, and by their gift of Future Sight. Qrow _Reborn_ Qrow will blame himself for her death, drowning himself in his sorrows. She loves him for protecting her, in this life and her first, but she hates that with her death a second time, she will cause him so much pain. Tai _Colonnello_ Tai as well, even if she truely got to know him in this life, she did love that idiot blond so much, but hates herself for causing him heartbreak for a second time, leaving him to take care of their girls alone.

But at the same time, she has hope, Tsunayoshi is  _alive in this world_. And Aria knows that even if she were to leave forever, her daughter, of this life and the past, would always be protected by that young man, who's fists were forever held in the position of prayer, for their safety, their lives, their dreams, their peace.

The last embers of Sky dies out, and Summer Rose's life, scatters like the petals of the red roses she loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes poor Aria remembers at the moment of her death I am sorry but this has always been the plan if I ever talked about Aria.


	3. First Awakening - Chinese Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NUMBER 3! I'm actually writing a fifth right now. That's how inspired I am at the moment. But first, here is Tai's awakening!

When Colonnello awakens, it is not to the loss of Raven (or Lal, now that he thinks about it) nor is it to some Grimm attacking him.

Instead, it is to the death of Summer, of  _Aria_. And he breaks. Ruby, no  _Uni_ , is still too young to understand her death, or even remember their past. Yang, his sunny little Storm Dragon, is devestated, the loss of the mother she knew affecting her even more than he expects. Colonnello isn't sure what to do anymore. Summer had helped him through Lal leaving the family, but raising two little girls, all on his own? This isn't like helping to train any COMSUBIN hopefuls, or like training Tsuna and his friends, this is raising  _children._

He tries. He tries so hard to raise them. But then Yang finds out about her birth mother and starts questioning him about her, and Colonnello tries to tell her she wouldn't come back. The next night, Yang vanishes with Ruby. And Colonnello panics.

Then, when Qrow comes in, eyes glinting with hints of Sunny Gold with the blood red, while carrying both his girls, Colonnello knew he messed up. He sits through Reborn's ranting and protective anger, lets himself act as Reborn's target, then swears to himself to become a better father.

He can't protect his daughters forever, though, so he helps them, guides them, teaches them. And his girls return to their nest after the fall of Beacon, his little Dragon is broken and tired, her actions and expressions remniscent of retired soldiers, traumatised and hurt. While his little Rose angry and sad, and yet full of determination to find the truth and correct the wrongs of the world. He lets her go, despite her apparent sneaking off. Reborn would protect her. He knows he will.

Then he helps Yang back on her feet. Tells her some truths she needs to hear. And sends her after her little sister, her bonded Sky.

If weeks later, Lal pays a visit, he doesn't really care anymore. He lives for his girls and his Flames will blaze for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Colonnello as Taiyang in Burning Remnant. This is when he awakens. If he is a little OOC, well, not all of them reverted to their original personalities. Tai remains as he is, mainly because Lal left him and Yang, even when already knowing it is him. The betrayal is a little too much for him to bear, and you know how Colonnello loved Lal in canon.
> 
> The chapter title, Chinese Dragon, alludes to the original language of Tai's name - meaning Great Sun Little Dragon, as well as Colonnello's Flame, as Chinese dragons are said to bring Rainfall
> 
> Leave a comment before you go!


	4. True Rebirths - The Science Trio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: Please read Burning Remnant before reading this fic. Also, this is the chapter when the ideas I had went out of control.
> 
> Also, Sho-chan is Byakuran's voice of reason... Not that it helps much when dealing with a world where powers are common. He's rather exasperated by everything at this point.

Irie Shoichi's second life, with three sets of memories, wasn't all that bad. He was born in Atlas, his parents, a pair of Mistral scientists who had immigrated into the kingdom. Sure, he didn't enjoy the military state it was, nor did he enjoy the posturing the upper class members of their kingdom did, but he made due.

Specifically, he ended up being a somewhat underground scientist and doctor, aiding with healing for the hurt Faunus, and providing the machinery and gear needed to improve their safety in the Dust mines.

Then, somehow, he bumped into Spanner, recent Atlas graduate and currently unemployed mechanic, looking for someone to work with. Between the two of them, they managed to recreate the Moscas... with a couple of improvements to one up Atlas' vulnerable tech. Specifically, the Moscas were  _not_  like the recently produced and yet to be unveiled Atlesian Knight 200, which were easily hacked if anyone got hold of the command codes or access to the Cross Continental Transmit System. The two ended up using said machines to protect the workshop/clinic they had set up. (Their Faunus customers were a little creeped out by the design of the Moscas, but hey, they didn't care. As long as Shoichi or Spanner didn't hate their kind, they were pretty okay.)

Of course, someone caught wind of their actions, in the form of a former Atlas scientist, but someone both Shoichi and Spanner knew very well. Verde's appearance in their workshop had both been a shock and relief. Mainly because with the presence of all three of them, it was safe to say that there would be more of their friends reincarnated. (Shoichi really hoped it was Tsuna. He really needed some sanity back in their group)

Verde's presence helped them setup second workshop for their machines, under the alias Polendina. It was meant to be a workspace for products they wished to sell to Atlas, to fund their other experiments to help the Faunus (As well as their recreations of Flame tech and research to combine Flame and Dust technology). Minor commisions and repairs here and there, the Atlas Military asking to help with their prosthetics research at some points.

Then, their biggest commision piece came in – Create a robot with Aura. James Ironwood was the one who came in asking for it, a secret told, of how magic was real, and he wanted to know if artifical bodies could be used as a holder for Aura. It was crazy, but between the three of them, Shoichi knew it could work.

The AI creation was easy. Making self learning AI was something all three of them were quite experienced in. It was simply adapting it to Atlas technology that was an issue.

Creating the body was a bit of a challenge, having to ensure the robot looked like a human child. They couldn't depend on Mist Flames since they didn't even have access to that, or holograms, since those could fail at any time. Artifical skin and synthetic hairs was their only choice.

Perhaps the hardest was getting her (Somehow, the robot turned into a female design, and was promptly labled their collective daughter) to generate Aura. Shoichi worked with Penny with her personality. Taught her emotions, and what each of their expressions meant. But it didn't work. At least, not until Verde came up with an idea none of them expected.

If Box Animals often took on the traits of their partners due to their Flames, what if, just what if by implanting a system for Flames to generate, even when dormant, Penny would develop a soul, a real personality, and thus, an Aura?

Shoichi thought it wouldn't hurt to try, and donated some of his Sun Flames to the cause... and it somehow worked.

Penny went from mechanical to life like in her interactions with her multiple fathers, taking on Shoichi's awkwardness and Spanner's strangeness in regards to social norms, as well as Verde's persistence. Her Flames was bright and Sunny like Shoichi's and sang even when dormant. Awakening her Aura didn't take long either.

When Ironwood returned, perhaps they shouldn't have been surprised that the man wanted her to be enrolled in Atlas, to perhaps have her work as a weapon. Shoichi was not happy to let her go, and neither was Verde, interestingly enough. After all, the bubbly girl was their baby. And Spanner? He was their voice of reason. 'Let her experience the world in her eyes,' he said, and both reluctantly agreed.

That agreement was soon taken back the moment they watched the finals for the Vytal Tournament. Shoichi spent weeks angrily chewing Ironwood out about what had happened. Spanner and Verde had instead, sent a small army of Moscas to the stadium, retrieving what was left of their broken daughter.

Her Flame system was still in tact, and so were the computing and memory storage system for her personality. They could still repair her...

And when she woke up, the three of them were startled. Her Flames had awakened, and a slightly frayed fledging bond had formed with a  _Sky_.

Shoichi was reluctant to let her leave a second time. But he wasn't cruel to leave her without her Sky.

(Shoichi knew the feeling of yearning for his Sky. Say what you will, but Byakuran, as crazy as he had been in that Future Past, had really been the only Sky he truly bonded to, and even with the betrayal he brought, he still yearned for his Sky once more.

...Then again. It was possible that their reason for being reincarnated was Byakuran's fault in the first place.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went all out with this chapter, being twice the length of most of the others. I think there are a few more of this length as well.
> 
> I have 4 other chapters ready to be posted at any time, but I'll do it slowly. Enjoy reading this! And please leave a comment before you go!
> 
> Kiri Kaitou Clover


	5. The Watcher - Nekojin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for something different! Also, please ignore the inconsistent tense usage between chapters from now on.

Kali Belladona laughed as she watched her late sister's son play with her daughter. Lavina had always been her opposite, silver to her obsidian, green to her gold, leopard to her cat. And her son was much the same, with a few differences. For one, Hayato was hot tempered and easily riled up compared to Blake, who was often calm. At the same time however, she couldn't help but be surprised by the bouts of maturity he had in certain situation, reacting like how an adult would rather than a child.

Of course there were times Kali felt Hayato was a troublemaker. For example... the child had an annoying habit of stowing explosives everywhere on him. His hair, his pockets, his sleeves. Kali felt exasperated everytime she had to shake Hayato down for his smuggled explosives. Then there were the times Hayato lit something on fire... without Dust, a lighter, or any thing to even trigger it. He didn't even have his Aura activated yet, so even Semblances was out. (She saw tiny red flames on Hayato's fingertips flicker out, one time, but dismissed it as her imagination.)

There were even times when she found Hayato in the middle of a White Fang protest. Even if Ghira was the White Fang leader, she felt upset, getting the kids involved in the rallies, open to danger and retaliation from the humans they were up against.

But then... there were times when she caught Hayato acting bizzarely. Every October, for example, there would be one week where the young leopard Faunus would be melancholic. Wistful smiles, longing in the eyes. He would say it was because it would be Tsuna's birthday soon, whenever she asked. That same name would come up every once in a while, Hayato almost always singing praises about the boy. But perhaps the most prominent incident, was when he caught one meeting that Ghira and Sienna had about the direction to take the White Fang, peaceful protests, or violence.

She watched him mutter to himself, about how Tsuna knew that peace could not attained by words alone, that he knew that violence was sometimes needed, but also knew that if not coupled with compassion to their enemies, they would be deemed as terrorists, as simply against that peace. Mutter about Tsuna probably being able to bridge the gap between the two sides, simply by being himself...

Kali watched as Blake and Hayato continued to play, and hoped that this peace would last, that neither of her cubs would ever need to fight this uphill battle for peace and equality...

Her wishes would go unheard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Kali. Love her. Badass cat mom capable of taking down an assassin with just a tea tray. She's Lavina's sister in this. Yes Lavina was reborn. Just... dead as well. Without her memories. But yes, Kali ends up adopting Hayato into her little pride. This is before Ghira was forced to step down, so yeah, young Hayato and Blake simply having fun together and being kids, while joining Ghira at the front of the White Fang rallies. Fun~!
> 
> But seriously. This is the first outsider's pov short. And Kali is the best one to go for in this case!


	6. Tales Between - Daughter of Llŷr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, another week, another chapter! It's one of the shorter ones, but I hope you enjoy.

Seventeen years. After seventeen years, her daughter finally steps into her camp.

 

Lal doesn't know if she should be proud or guilty. The part of her that is Raven, the part of her that is loyal to the tribe, the family that raised her, says that she should be proud, that her daughter had overcome her abandonment, braved everything, and sought her out. The part of her that is Lal, that still loves Colonnello, even to this day, tells her to be guilty that she had left her daughter to be raised by someone else, guilty that she had left Colonnello broken enough that he ended up falling for Summer, guilty that instead of Colonnello being the one to betray her, she had been the one to do so, and now Qrow was angry at her for abandoning her family.

However... when Yang (Her little sunny Storm Dragon, she wonders how her daughter even  _got_ that Flame), choses instead to ignore her offer to join the tribe... the part of her that is Raven is furious, and Lal allows it to take over. And her daughter, instead, plans on fighting her way out.

Then the little Schnee busts out and reveals to know her daughter... and Raven stops to allow Lal back in, both sides of her recognising something between the two girls... The girls... were fellow Elements of the same Sky.

Raven doesn't know what to think. Lal, on the other hand, is quick to halt her tribe from causing any more destruction... and decides to tell the girls the truth of who they were fighting for, and what they were up against.

The girls still leave for Ruby,  _no, Uni._ She knows Reborn would explain more, her old collegue turned younger twin still under Ozpin's employ.

Days later, Salem's little witch appears. And Lal folds. Not because she is afraid, no. But because it is a chance. A chance to deal a blow to the enemy. No one but Vernal knew that the former Spring Maiden had passed, and every action Vernal takes as a Spring Maiden substitute, is the work of the girl's Semblance, and Lal's careful manipulation of what little Mist Flames she had.

Even if she says that the actions she will take is for the sake of her tribe... a tiny part of her gnaws in her mind, telling her that, perhaps, this is her way of taking a stand, of making sure she, and not her true family would be the target of Salem.

(She wonders if that gnawing sensation is the guilt she holds. A guilt that amplifies in the face of Ruby, of Tsunayoshi's reincarnation, of Qrow, and of her daughter... She wonders if that guilt would ever fade away...)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Researching for ravens in myths gave me the Norse Ravens, Huginn and Muninn (AKA the first chapter title), and now, perhaps the source of Qrow and Raven's surname, Branwen - The Daughter of Llŷr, sister of Bran the Blessed.
> 
> (You can see where I'm going with all my chapter titles here. By the way. I'm NOT USED TO WRITING LAL. NOR RAVEN. But honestly, both of them are quite similar in attitudes... in some way. At least... it does seem that way from what I remember from the anime and manga. Umm...)
> 
> LEAVE A COMMENT OR REVIEW!  
> Kiri Kaitou Clover
> 
> (Side note: VLD crossover fics on the way. I should be done with them sometime tmr afternoon. It's night here now, so we'll see how.)


	7. True Rebirths - The Owl of Misfortune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahahaha here's another chapter for you all!!! Guess who's here!!!!
> 
> (Also, reminder: Please read Burning Remnants before coming to this story.)

Nagi was bitter. It seemed, that she would always be reborn in a family that would abuse her, hate her, neglect her. Nagi was an owl Faunus, born with feathers as part of her hair, and the night vision of owls. Reason, her 'mother' had once married an owl Faunus whose traits never showed clearly, and the moment she found out the truth, she divorced him, never knowing that she had already been pregnant with Nagi.

Both her mother and step-father were part of the upper class of Atlas' nobles. Nagi herself, was simply there to be put on show. If damage to either of their reputation happened, the blame was shoved onto Nagi, her feathers plucked and she herself beaten and never to see the light of day for weeks on end.

Then one day, she was brought to attend a Schnee charity event. One towards the people of Vale. At least, that was what it was on paper. In the end, it seemed exactly like the parties her parents would go for to gossip and mock the lower class. But Nagi? Nagi noticed something that night.

As Weiss Schnee sang her heart out, Nagi noticed the hate, the contempt and the defiance the girl had in her eyes, the lyrics echoing the rebellion the Schnee heiress had in her heart. It was surprising, to see a child of the upper class, having her eyes opened and attempting to speak out.

Then, at the charity itself, Nagi watched as Weiss grew angry at the spoilt rich brat attempting to flirt with her, not even knowing the purpose of the event. She knew Weiss had left to become a Huntress, but she didn't expect... that the girl would have changed this much. So... she approached her.

"What?" Weiss snapped. "If you are simply here to play nice, just leave."

"I... That song you sang, it was empowering," Nagi said, with a bit of hesitation. "I was surprised by the lyrics though. Can I ask who wrote it?"

She watched as the Schnee heiress blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the question, and observed her expression morph into reluctant pride, "Thanks... And about the song and lyrics... I wrote them. I'm surprised anyone even paid attention."

Nagi then panicked when the Schnee turned her eyes to the feathers on her head, and watched them widen in shock.

Then, a surprisingly quite murmur, "You... You're a Faunus... What are you doing here at a Schnee event? If anyone finds out..."

"My parents brought me!" Nagi blurted out, gesturing frantically to said people. Weiss blinked in their direction, before smiling at Nagi, "Don't worry. I have a friend who is a Faunus, just like you. What more, she was a former White Fang member. So I won't discriminate."

Nagi's eyes widened. She was a Schnee, and yet... she was friends with a sworn enemy of her family?

Of course, the already curious night would be interrupted by her mother making a fool of herself, telling her step father that Vale deserved what it got during the attack. It enraged Nagi, that her mother would make light of the events that happened, and her new friend was similarly enraged and insulted, the girl calling out the pretentious nobles in the room.

Nagi almost wished the girl's Semblance construct had killed her mother, since the woman had taken her being side by side with Weiss as an act of defiance.

* * *

The next day would bring news of the Schnee heiress vanishing, her mother scoffing and saying good riddance. Nagi however, knew that her new friend had run away, fleeing to the Sky Nagi knew the icy Rain was bonded to.

It would be a few days later that in the darkness of her prison, where she would hear her mother scream pleas of forgiveness as the house was attacked. And when the door to her room opened, her eyes widened and she smiled at the sight of dichromatic eyes.

"Kufufu... It's time to leave, my dear Chrome."

"Yes, Mukuro-sama!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Owls have a number of appearances in several myths and religions, but outside of the Greco-Roman belief that owls represented wisdom (plus a couple of other myths considering certain species divine messengers or elemental symbols) the most common is how Owls are associated with death and misfortune. Sooooo.... yeah. 
> 
> (Sorry I had to torture Chrome this chapter...)


	8. True Rebirths - The Ouroboros

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reason number 2 for the Chrome Chapter? A Mukuro Chapter =)

Somehow, Mukuro's hate for the world was amplified in this life. It was one thing to be a mass murderer and be hated for it (Though, even then, Mukuro felt he had been pretty justified with that.). It was completely different if you were hated  _because of what species you were_. Living and being born in Atlas was harsh if you were a Faunus. Discrimination was everywhere, and so was the hate. And as a Snake Faunus whose physical trait was the snake skin around the sides of his eyes and his neck, and a minor trait that allowed him to speak to all reptiles, he was pretty much given a bad hand in life. What had he done to deserve this? Oh right.  _Murdering the mafia_.

Life in the slums was terrible. It was survival of the fittest among the Faunus orphans. No one would be willing to take care of them. Perhaps it was because of this that he found Ken (a wolf Faunus with the claws and fangs to match) and Chikusa (a human who had been abandoned by his family because they were unable to sustain a child), being ganged up on by the desperate older children, some hoping to take their anger and rage out on the only human among them. Mukuro had to save them, Mist illusion taking hold to force the children to knock each other out.

After that, it was as if time had rewound itself, that they had once more escaped from the Estraneo's labs and were living free. They survived like they used to in the streets of Italy: Mukuro would approach a rich Atlesian, looking all innocent and young, while weaving an illusion to allow Ken and Chikusa to pick the pocket of their target. By the time their target noticed, they were long gone.

Hilariously enough, Mukuro's disguises found themselves wanted by the Atlesian Military for theft, assuming he had an illusion Semblance. Close enough. Either way, Mukuro changed his disguise often, from friends of their target after stalking them for weeks, to the multitude of strangers that Mukuro picked on a whim. (The one day they were nearly caught, they watched under an illusion as both Ironwood and Specialist Schnee furiously tried to figure out how they even escaped.)

Of course, it wasn't long till they felt that perhaps, stealing from the houses of the rich was a good idea. And it wasn't long for said first attempt to fall flat with Mukuro and Ken having to haul Chikusa to safety after they encountered an Atlesian Knight.

(They ran into Shoichi then, who simply sighed, took them back to his clinic and started patching them up. Then they got the promise for some tools to facilitate their heists, for a small percentage of their heist earnings. It was a small price to pay for the aid the Sun gave.)

It was on one such heist, after the Fall of Beacon, that Mukuro realised that someone dear to him was in dire need of saving. Infiltrating the Schnee residence to scout the place had been too easy – The charity event for Vale was on, and one of his former targets had decided not to attend. It only took stealing the man's invite and bearing with the pretentious attitude of the upper class to gain access.

And that event... he saw  _Chrome_. Chrome, whose Flames felt stiffled and miserable, whose Flames felt exactly like it was when he had first met her on her death bed. Whose hair was fluffed and filled with feathers... She was a  _Faunus._ Mukuro immediately took note of her parents: names, faces, status, and decided to forgo his current target.

Almost a week later, he and his minions (brothers, friends, he won't admit it) attacked Chrome's 'home'. He wished to send a message, and not finding Chrome anywhere in the house, he tortured the woman that birthed his precious other half. He finally got his answer, and found the hidden trapdoor to the basement.

His Chrome was beaten, starved, feathers on her head starting to grow back. But instead of despair over her situation, the moment their eyes met, they lit with a hopeful fire, and Mukuro gave a smirk.

"Kufufu... It's time to leave, my dear Chrome."

"Yes, Mukuro-sama!"

* * *

The next day, Ironwood walked into the house to find the woman broken and insane, and found evidence of her and her husband's abuse, as well as evidence of the perpetrators. He finally had the true face of the elusive thief, recognising the trident that had been the reported choice of weapon. He never found where the daughter went, only knowing that the girl had taken her parents' attacker as her saviour.

And he wouldn't ever find her again. After all, Mukuro had changed her name, and allowed her to be herself once more. His Chrome. His precious other half. He was never letting her go again.

(Irie Shoichi would find the familiar teens holed up in his clinic, sigh, and finally build a third room for permanent residency. Penny was already living in one of them, it wouldn't hurt for Mukuro and his friends to have somewhere safe to crash every now and then. James was not allowed back in either of his workshops in any case. The Moscas would attack him if he ever tried.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, one of my reviewers on FFn pointed out Chrome's weakness last chapter. I have an explanation for this:
> 
> Here's how I view Altas as a society - heavily prejudiced, and no one tries to stop it. Ironwood's persecution of the White Fang doesn't help public opinion of the Faunus, even worse if you consider how Jacques Schnee is also behind most of of the Faunus' hate for humans thanks to deplorable work conditions and minimum wages.
> 
> Chrome, if she even stood up to her 'parents' (illusion or otherwise) would have faced punishment in any case since they've been tainted by the opinions of the upperclass - that Faunus are beneath them. She also does not have the protection of Aura, since her parents wouldn't bother unlocking it for her. So. While she may have the will to survive, surviving also means obeying her 'parents' and minimising the amount of punishment she gets. She isn't weak. Not by a long shot. She just bade her time - and it worked, since Mukuro got her out.
> 
> On to something different - Shoichi. I didn't mention it, but he's actually much older than most of the KHR crew, so is Spanner. I've kinda used their TYL selves as basis for their current selves. So, they're actually in their twenties by the time Season 4 events roll in.
> 
> Today's title is Ouroboros - represented by a serpent eating its tail, it symbolises the cycles of life and death, perfect for the ever reincarnating Mukuro.
> 
> Also thank you anon reviewer 'Ryohei god' for the ideas on Chrome and Mukuro. I made a couple of changes to the general idea in the review you left me on Burning Remnant but still...


	9. Stories - The Sky and the Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. It's my birthday today. I'm 23. Yaaaay. (I'm kinda apathetic this morning) But here's this chapter of Remnant Embers. It is something I mentioned in Burning Remnant, among the first lines even. And... well... Now you can see who was at fault for the legends surrounding Flames.
> 
> The origin myth with no physical record other than the myth itself. Welcome... to the first of three stories.

**Stories – The Sky and the Earth**

Once upon a time, there was a traveller, who wandered the world, researching the multiple legends – The Maidens, The Two Brothers, the like.

One day, he came upon a road that led into Grimm territory. Knowing that this was the only path to the next safe town, the traveller decided to brave the journey. Sure enough, he was attacked by Grimm along the way.

To his surprise, the Grimm were soon blasted back by a blaze of orange fire, touching him, but not burning him. The traveller turned, and found a pair of warriors, fighting with nothing but fire in their hands, sunset orange and earthen red, and burning away at the darkness.

The traveller thanked the pair, and asked what was the flames they wielded. The first said his flames was that of the Sky, while the second said his flames was that of the Earth. This confused the traveller, and asked why the flames were named so.

The first revealed that it was because the flames were opposites, despite their similar origins. The second revealed that it was because the flames were the same, despite differences in appearance and abilities. Again, this confused the traveller. So he asked one more question:

"Is this power one of humans?"

They replied, that yes, it was a human power, but one that will sleep, until the need was most dire.

And then, in a blink of an eye, they vanished. The traveller, seeing no sign of them being there in the first place, thought it a dream, but wrote it down anyways.

A story to be told, of a fictional power, born of humans.

This is the first of the three stories of the mysterious flames.

...

...

...

"Giotto. What did you do wrong?"

"Rush recklessly into danger?"

" _And?_ "

"Mess with the Mare Sky?"

"So?"

"I will never do it again...?"

"GOOD."

"Come on, Cozart! You have to admit that trip to a parallel world was fun while it lasted!"

"Fun?  _Fun?_  We almost died to a horde of monsters made of pure darkness! We were lucky that the Mare kid was kind enough to bring us back here!"

"Well... beating them up was theraputic."

"Haaaa... G has it hard doesn't he."

"Well, I tend to get into these situations with you."

" _THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY BETTER!_ "


	10. True Rebirths - Skylark and Swallow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda a pre-Burning Remnants event. Please check Burning Remnants out in regards to this little detail. Also I am winging it with the Haven Academy initiation since we will never have that info again thanks to Leo dying. (To people who want Vacuo!Ryohei and Kyoko, please send some ideas for initiation for Shade Academy. Cause I'm actually fresh out.)

Haven Academy... had a bit of a problem.

Kyoya Hibari was perhaps the hardest person for any Huntsman or Huntress to work with, which made finding a team for him a challenge. The second year had managed to get kicked off his team three times now, due to complaints from said teams about lack of teamwork and... being bitten to death for being false carnivores. No one understood the notion, nor did they understand how someone so powerful, capable of mowing down a horde of Grimm with just close combat, was so stubborn about working in a team.

Haven's student body was mostly afraid of confronting the Demon Prefect, a title gained when he took over the school's discipline soon after their initiation and team assignments, having sufficiently cowed the headmaster into granting him said priviledges. The teachers were just as wary of confronting the teen.

(And attacking him because of his Faunus status just made him angry and target you. No one wanted to be Kyoya Hibari's target.)

This all changed with the newest batch of first year initiates. Takeshi Yamamoto was... odd. The young male's smiles was disarming, but the way he brushed off dangerous situations during the first half of the initiation with that same carefree attitude was simply disturbing. His weapon was strange, a bokken that had no other features. Perhaps the most startling was the almost predatory smile that appeared when the teen was confronted with Grimm... almost bloodthirsty... Grimm that died very quickly in every confrontation. What happened? Did the teen beat them up with his bokken?

The biggest surprise was the second half of the initiation in Haven: Matches against second years to test their skill level.

And Takeshi Yamamoto got matched against Kyoya Hibari.

The second years winced, knowing it would be a one-sided beatdown from the skylark. The teachers were worried about the carefree student, knowing that despite the teen's skill level, he wouldn't be able to match Hibari.

The match started, and Hibari was the one to make the first attack. But then, a flash of steel had the second year stopping right in front of Yamamoto, revealing the carefree teen had in his hands a blade, a blade, where a bokken used to be. A blade that was pointed directly at the skylark's neck. And the impressed grin on Hibari's face sent shivers down the audience's spines. So did the words he uttered next.

"Wao. You've improved, Yamamoto Takeshi," Hibari praised, ignoring the gasps of surprise.

And Yamamoto just  _laughed_ , "Kyoya-senpai, good to see you too!"

The school was horrified. They  _knew each other?!_

"Rules, senpai?" Yamamoto asked, moving the blade away.

"Hn. No Semblance. No abilities. No targeting lethal points. Three hits," Hibari complied, twirling his tonfas to a ready position. "I will bite you to death."

Yamamoto just laughed as he parried the renewed attack with his sword, "Still using that catchphrase huh!"

The school was stunned. And scared. What was this? Why was Takeshi Yamamoto not scared of the Demon Prefect?!  _Why was he just laughing it off as if it was a game?!_

Perhaps, it was no surprise when Kyoya Hibari and Yamamoto Takeshi were assigned together as teammates and partners. This unlikely friendship, in the eyes of the student body, was unconventional, dangerous, and frightening. On a whole other note, the usual 'sparring partners' of Kyoya Hibari breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the teen had someone on his level to target now. Perhaps the only ones who weren't affected were the newly formed Team SSSN, with Sun and Yamamoto getting along pretty easily.

Of course... Months into the school year, with the Vytal Festival closing in, the scales were about to tip. And the two were perhaps the most prepared for the fallout.

"... Takeshi. What do you think of the other 'Haven Representatives' the headmaster chose?"

"I don't even recognise them from my first year initiation. And I met everyone. I'm pretty sure if we check their records, they would be in the system, but will have only been entered prior to the festival. Something's happening, Kyoya. And it's not good."

"Hn. Ignore the false carnivore's orders to stay away from the school during break. Be prepared for anything."

"Right. And you'll..."

"Be patrolling. And doing some digging. Report every night if possible."

"Of course!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some trivia: I actually had two versions of this chapter. Originally I was going for both Takeshi and Kyoya in the same year, coming from the same village. But that really would not work, and would come out of nowhere. The main reasoning was that Mistral had many Asian influences, including Japan and China. And because of this I wanted so bad to include Tsuyoshi and Fon into the equation and for their home village to be named Namimori... then I realised how awkward it would be. So... I scrapped that entire chapter and had to rewrite it. (Not before writing the Stories however.)
> 
> This version flows much better. And is less awkward. And kinda presents Kyoya and Takeshi's friendship as really really weird in the eyes of Haven Academy.
> 
> (I notice that I have... issues with finding mythological counterparts for these two. So the title is kinda bland.)


	11. Tales Between - Brân Fendigaidd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Update's a little late. I had assignments to submit. But here's another of the Tales Between, covering an event that occurred in Volume 3.

"Fucking damn it, Ozpin," Qrow groaned. He was really starting to question the man's decisions.

The moment Pyrrah Nikos stepped out of the elevator, Qrow had to slam down on the guilt and anger he felt. After all, if she agreed to become the new Fall Maiden (And Qrow had no doubts about it), he would be sending  _a Sky to her death_.  _Ruby's friend and fellow Sky_.

Don't get him wrong. If there were other options other than transferring the aura of one person to another, Qrow would gladly take it. But nope. The only options he had was Aura transfer, and it was either to a living person, and someone they trusted to not misuse the power, or into a machine provided by James, who would most likely try and turn said power into a weapon, no matter how he tries to disagree.

Qrow's guilt multiplied even more when he remembered that Amber was only in this state in the first place because he had failed to adequately protect her from afar. And he couldn't even heal her, since the damage to her was soul deep. What that witch had done not only tore out half of Amber's powers, but caused her to start haemorrhaging Flames, loosing them too quickly for her body to replenish, especially considering she wasn't even Flame active. The only reason she was still alive was because they had her in a life support pod.

The fate of the Maidens... He hated it, hated that it tended to be pushed onto girls as young as Ruby. At least, with the curse of the Arcobaleno, their successors were always the strongest of each generation, trained and more than able to adapt to the changes (The only exception had been Skull, but even he had been an adult when the Curse happened). With the Maiden's magic, it was completely random, and meant that it could end up in untrained successors, successors that, if none of them found on time, would either be captured or killed by Salem and her people.

Qrow sighed. He wondered if this was one of the reasons why Raven left. Not simply because of their secondary forms, but because if she followed through, she would be cursing others to a fate similar to what theirs had once been, and she couldn't bear to watch.

(That did not excuse her for leaving Tai and Yang alone and Summer to pick up the pieces of the shattered family.)

But here was the question. If no one protected the Maidens, what was there to stop Salem from destroying the world?

(He knew what was able to stop Salem. Flames. But with only him and Lal awake, Colonnello still getting over his depression while working at Patch, and Uni unawake, still young and training, none of them were even ready to fight the Grimm Queen... So what were they to do till then?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't mind if Qrow is OOC. He... wasn't cooperating on this post. Also, chapter name has the same origins to Raven's.


	12. The Watcher - The Monkey King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favourite chapters to write for several reason. 1. Its another Watcher chapter, with interaction with the cast. And 2. This references events from Burning Remnants. Hope you all enjoy!

Sun was perhaps one of the few people who had gained the respect of Kyoya Hibari. Perhaps it was one of their early spars, when Sun landed not one, not two, but three hits in a row on the skylark.  _Without the use of his Semblance_. Of course, the fight became one-sided after that, Hibari going all out with a terrifying grin.

But. It was enlightening. Sun learned that Hibari respected people who didn't automatically feared him in a fight, but who were also more than capable of landing hits on him. Sun became one of those people in that fight... and gained the odd title of Monkey Omnivore. A bizarre nickname.

The conversation between Hibari and Yamamoto regarding the nickname was just as bizarre, going like this:

"Are you turning into Hana?"

"He's a monkey Faunus."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you call him a monkey like Hana does. Now that I think about it, you called Xanxus the 'boss of the mountain of monkeys'. Are you really Hana in disguise?"

" _I'll bite you to death_."

"You do that."

Of course, Sun managed to wrangle out the reason why Hibari used such bizarre titles from Yamamoto.

"Well... Herbivores are those he consider weaklings." Sun winced, since most of the Haven students were classified as that.

"Omnivores are... similar. Weak in appearance, but actually quite powerful in battle. You are not the first person he's labelled that." Sun blinked. Someone other than him was classified an Omnivore as well? Well... that was terrifying.

"Carnivores are those who are strong willed, powerful in battle."

"Wait. Then what does False Carnivore mean?" Sun asked, "I've heard Hibari call the headmaster that before. So...?"

Yamamoto hummed, "False Carnivore is exactly what it means. The facade of strength he puts on is just for show. It is actually pretty insulting to be called a false carnivore if you are extremely prideful."

It was this very conversation that Sun recalled when he found Hibari sitting on the window sill of one Oscar Pine's room, as if he were guarding it. It was long after they had rounded up the White Fang remnants, and everyone had been resting after the tiring night.

Obviously, Hibari respected Oscar a lot. So when he spotted Yamamoto sitting into lobby, he couldn't help but question his friend.

"So... Hibari definitely respects Oscar. So what's the story behind that? They only met today... right?"

"Well..." Yamamoto chuckled, "Remember what I said about him having one other person he calls Omnivore?"

"Wait. What?!" Sun looked at Yamamoto, confused. "Again, this  _is_  their first time meeting right?"

"It wouldn't be the first time if you factor in reincarnation," Yamamoto hummed as he strolled off oblivious to the fact that he had dropped a bomb on Sun.

Sun, who had been blindsided once again by shocking facts about his friends. First, Blake was technically the princess of Menagerie by status alone. Now his classmate dropping the fact that he and his crazy partner were... reincarnations?! No seriously. What next? The stories of the Flames actually being real?

(Actually now that he thought about it, he did see multicoloured flames everywhere that night. Great. His life was now weird. Not that it wasn't already.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the chapter title ref should be obvious.


	13. Stories - The Clam, The Sea and The Rainbow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp. Its a bit late, but that's kinda because my computer might as well be dead and I am using my mom's one right now. But here's the second of three stories...

**Stories – The Clam, The Sea and the Rainbow**

Once upon a time, there was a traveller, who wandered the world, researching the multiple legends – The Maidens, The Two Brothers, the like.

One day, he chanced upon a white haired boy, humming a little tune. A tune so strange, that the traveller was not sure where it came from. Maybe, he thought, the words would tell him more.

So he asked the boy, "Are there words to this song you are humming?"

The white haired boy smiled and obliged, and when he began the song again, this time, he sang:

_The Sea knows no bounds._

_The Clam passes down its form from Generation to Generation._

_The Rainbow appears from time to time before fading away._

The traveller was confused, but he wrote the words down anyways, and asked the boy, what the song was about.

The boy laughed and said it was a story of three, the miracles that differed between, and the similarities they shared.

Again, the traveller was confused, as only two of the three objects had any relation to each other. So, he asked the boy, what was the similarity they shared.

The boy said one word, "Flames."

And then, he vanished in a blink of an eye. An encounter so strange, that the traveller thought, perhaps he imagined it, but he wrote down this song anyways.

A story to be told, of a song so strange, a song of three, but made no sense.

This is the second of the three stories of the mysterious flames.

...

...

...

"Well... that was an interesting world. Strange I have no counterpart there."

"Byakuran, what were you doing? Tsuna and I sensed an imbalance in the Tri-ni-sette!"

"Just testing a new ability of mine, Uni-chan. Tell Tsuna-kun not to worry!"

"How can I not worry? You vanished and all of us could feel it! Heck, Kawahira and Bermuda were panicking because the Pacifier Jar suddenly destabilised for a moment!"

"Tsuna-kun... You're here?"

"Of course I'm here."

"... I'm sorry for worrying you both."

"It's fine, Byakuran. As long as you are safe."

...

...

'Hmm... maybe I should prepare something fun for us when we die. That world was kind of fun. Maybe have us be reborn there? I should see if the Mare Ring will allow that to happen.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA Guess who should we blame for everyone reincarnating in Remnant.
> 
> Side note: foxchick1 on FFn suggested I create a clear timeline since the fic is out of order. Sooo... Yeah I have it on tumblr. Here's the link: https://rainixdra.tumblr.com/post/172789358452/blaze-of-remnant-au-timeline


	14. Tales Between - Pinus lambertiana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. I am honestly in no mood to post stuff. Been a generally trashy day. But hell no am I gonna let it control me. So HERE'S OSCAR~ Well. More like Oscar pre-Season 4. Have fun!

Oscar hissed as the fork he had in his hand melted, dismissing his Sky Flames as the molten metal fell to the ground as he let it go. Annoyed, he gave up this attempt and decided to head back to his room.

Obviously, while Vongola Quatro's unique choice of weapons was... interesting to mess around with, without any Flame conductive metals to work with, he had no way of practicing his Flames. Secondo's option of bare hands was... not really how he prefered to work with his Flames. Guns and the crossbow of Daniella, while something he could easily procure for defence against Grimm, still required the Flame conductive material to make charged shots. The lack of weapon options to practice his Flames with was really making him twitchy.

He was seriously considering just using a normal pitchfork for long range, and his bare hands for close range. Said bare hands lightly coated in Flames that is. His control was not enough to fully cover his hands yet without leaving serious burns. And he was not used to firearms yet. He would get one for practice, but not in actual combat. Hopefully Reborn's lessons on firearms was still instilled in him.

Sighing, Oscar picked up the blueprint on his table, one he had made with the help of the blacksmith nearby. Mechshift weapons were a staple in Remnant, and having long ranged and short ranged weapons combined into a single one made it easy to swap according to the situation.

Consulting the man on all the parts and where each went took months of work, and while they had a prototype of the gloves made using inferior materials, Oscar knew it wasn't fully usable yet.

First there was the gloves themselves. While he could test the mechshift function, with the left capable of turning into a handgun (which confused the blacksmith) and the right into a gauntlet (confusing the blacksmith even more), he couldn't test the actual capabilities. The gun was supposed to be remnicent of Xanxus' guns, capable of channeling concentrated beams of Flames. The gauntlet was remnicent of the Mitena di Vongola Primo, again, capable of channeling Flames. Since neither were made of Flame conductive metals (and the leather of the gloves underneath not being Flame proof), he couldn't even test that particular capability.

Second... Second was the earlier stated fact that Oscar still needed practice with handguns. Gauntlets were easy to use. Handguns? Not so much.

Third was timing the mechshift function according to what he needed. That was one of the main reasons he needed the model of the gloves, to practice with each trigger, each twist, each flick of a finger, making sure every move was smooth in practice, so that, on the occasion he did find Flame conductive and Flame proof materials, it would be easy to just slip on said gloves and use it immediately.

Fourth was... the hardest. He was probably not going to be able to find anyone capable of making it for a long time. He needed the X-contacts and Headphones. While he had been able to gague his output easily while he was an adult, as a child getting used to using Flames again? And with a smaller output considering his age? He needed to make sure he didn't over extend himself the first time he needs to use the X-Burner. Headphones were easy to get, but finding someone to create the execution program, creating the contacts, and linking said program to the contacts... well...

(Perhaps it was a good thing he didn't ask about Dust round chambers. He doubted the blacksmith would have been happy to try and work that into the prototype. Oscar was doomed to work with what he had for quite sometime.

On the other hand, anyone who walked past the farm would have been surprised at bizzare scorch marks around the perimeter, and the complete lack of Grimm. When the owner of the farm was asked, she had no idea. Apparently the Grimm had not attacked the farm for years now, and she had zero clue as to the reason why.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe... There will be another Oscar chapter in the future by the way. Also the _Pinus lambertiana_ or Sugar Pine is the tallest Pine tree in the world, reaching up to 200 feet or more. Reach to the skies why don't you?


	15. Tales Between - Hephaestus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHaaa... Follow up chapter! One of the rare ones, this one follows a small sequence in Burning Remnants, as well as Chapters 4, 7, 8, and 14! (AKA Hey Qrow, how did you get Oscars gloves forged that fast anyways?)

Qrow groaned while he looked at the list of items Oscar needed forged. The gloves were the easy item to get forged. He had more than enough leftover metal from modifying his Harbinger to channel Flames. It had taken him months of testing to find the right metal the first time around. And even then, a large percentage was constantly being imported to an Atlas research lab for some sort of testing.

The contacts and headphones on the other hand... There was no way he would be able to find someone capable of forging those. Oscar was going to have to work with just his gloves for now.

Then... he recalled something that happened a couple of weeks after the fall of Beacon. He had been drunk, but he did hear a news report detailing one of the Atlas funded labs cutting ties from the military and rejecting all future funding, and any attempts to seize the lab was met with blurred images of what resembled...  _Gola Moscas._

The only people Qrow knew capable of making the Mosca series were Spanner and Verde. And the fact that the lab was being guarded by them... Qrow quickly checked the archive of that particular report on his Scroll, and picked up the name of the lab: Polendina.

And Qrow had to facepalm. Of course they were upset. Penny Polendina, Ruby's  _Sun_ , was technically their child, and she had 'died' under the Atlas Military's care. Sighing, he looked up the address for the lab, and began composing a letter explaining the situation and placed it and the deposit Verde would normally request for any commision in an envelop, along with a copy of the blueprints. Sure, it would take weeks for the letter to reach, but his student really deserved the best.

And anyways, Spanner was the original creator of the X-Contacts and was intimately familiar with the Headphones. Who better to recreate it than the original creator himself?

* * *

Another day, another raid attempt. At this point, Spanner was seriously contemplating sending one of his stronger Mosca out to show the Atlas Military how outclassed they were in the robotics department, and to inform them to stop wasting resources. The lab had been emptied of all of their research for months anyways. Either way, he was only here to check if there was any new commisions sent from the other Kingdoms. The postmen knew to just give the letters to the Moscas by now.

Flicking through the mail his Mini Mosca had carefully opened and left in their envelops for the past weeks, he muttered each one out, "Atlas, Atlas, Atlas, Schnee? Pfft. Vale? Better consider it. Atlas, Atlas again, Faunus request, definitely taking that one. Atlas, Vale again, Atlas, Mistral, Atlas, Atlas, Reborn, Atla- wait what?!"

The name on the letter was definitely Reborn. When did this happen. And... While the name on the envelop said Polendina... Reborn was clearly addressing him by  _name_.

* * *

_Spanner,_

_If either you or Verde are reading this, I have a commission for you: X-Contacts and Headphones. Enclosed is an early deposit of Lien and the blueprints of the gloves they will be working with. I'll be handling the forging of the gloves on my end. I just need the contacts and headphones made and ready. Any tune ups will have to wait till we head to Atlas._

_And yes, Tsuna and I are alive. So are some of the others. If you've met anyone else from Vongola, please inform them to remain in Atlas. We'll **may**  be heading there soon, as I stated earlier, and if we do, we'll try and meet up with you when we arrive._

_Thanks,_

_Reborn_

_P.S. I was there at the Fall of Beacon, I'm... sorry about what happened to Penny. My niece hasn't taken her Sun's death well. We'll be dropping by to give our condolences._

Irie looked up from reading the letter, and watched Penny happily training with Chrome and Mukuro, weaving in and out of the tangible and intangible illusions.

"So?" Spanner asked.

"Let's prepare for Tsuna's arrival shall we?" Irie grinned.

"Reborn was generous with the deposit. He definitely remembers how much I normally request," Verde hummed as he calculated how much Lien from the deposit he needed to use for the commission itself.

"But honestly. His niece is Penny's Sky. What are the odds?" Spanner laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo yeah since this episode was mostly about Oscar's updated gloves, headphones and contact lenses getting made, this chapter's title is Hephaestus, God of Forge and Fire. Get it? Because they are forging his gloves, and all of them are Flame users... okay this went kinda flat.


	16. The Watcher - Shine, Achilles and Joan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Remember how fun the past few chapters were?
> 
> Yeah.
> 
> HERE'S THE ANGST!

Pyrrha was loved. Pyrrha was strong. Pyrrha was popular. Pyrrha was invincible.

Pyrrha was lonely. Pyrrha didn't have real friends. Pyrrha resented her abilities.

It was a contradiction she was faced with everyday in Mistral. How was it that someone so beloved could be so lonely? But Pyrrha knew why - those who thought themselves her friends were only in it for the fame. She could tell, their smiles never reached their eyes, their flattering words never holding truth in them, often jealous and resentful of her status. Then there was the fact that she herself felt the need to outright reject them, like there was something that didn't inherently fit between them.

(It always felt like a flame shying away from another, trying to avoid it because they weren't compatible, able to meld together well.)

Pyrrha headed for Beacon instead of Haven. At least, to get away from the eyes that always watched her, admiration, hate, misplaced crushes, jealousy. She needed to get away from it all.

Beacon did have it's share of such people. But. They at least knew to tone it down.

(Other than Weiss, who seemed enamoured by her even though it also looked like she was struggling between her and Ruby. It was still funny how the white haired girl instinctively gravitated towards the younger huntress in training, yet tried to fight it so hard.)

Then there was Jaune. Jaune who didn't know her at first glance. Jaune who didn't judge. Jaune who treated her normally. Jaune... who soon became the sun in her sky, brightening her life with his simplicity, his normalcy, his awkward charm. Jaune who took notice of her loneliness and cheered her up with laughter and sunshine.

Jaune who she came to love so dearly, that it hurt her to tear down the bonds between them when she chose to sacrifice herself.

Facing Cinder Fall, she didn't let her resolve waver. If she could protect them, buy everyone the time they needed, she would do so. If that was her destiny, so be it. But she would ensure that the destiny of her friends and the one she loved wouldn't end there.

Cinder Fall would look into Pyrrha's eyes and see a fierce, burning, resolute orange, questioning if she believed in destiny. She would say yes. And she would extinguish that flame in an instant. But that flame would be burned into her memory for months to come.

* * *

Jaune was loved. Jaune was friendly. Jaune was kind.

Jaune was lonely. Jaune didn't have many friends. Jaune's kindness didn't let him belong.

_Jaune was weak._

It was perhaps one of the real reasons he ran away to enter Beacon. He was weak, and he wanted to become strong in his own right. He cheated his way in, sure, but that didn't change his goals. At least, that was what he thought, until he was confronted by his own inadequacies in comparison to the friends he had made.

Ruby. Young as she was she was talented and skilled in her craft, a great leader. Weiss. Cold and harsh like winter itself he admired her not because of her status, or appearance as most would believe (considering how often he flirted with her, he couldn't blame them for assuming), but rather because like him, she had the guts to break away from her family. Then there was Pyrrah. He never met her before, only seen her as a mascot for Pumpkin Pete. And she was so skilled, so amazing, so talented. Beloved by all.

Unlike him. Coward. Liar. Weakling. Poor leader.

Yet Pyrrha. Pyrrha accepted him for who he was, even though he had lied to her, he had hurt her, he had rejected her. Yet, she still accepted him, inadequacies, weaknesses, and all. He managed to find a place to belong after all. A sun without a sky to belong to wasn't a sun, after all, but just a lonely star.

But then, he finally noticed how lonely Pyrrha was. He expected someone, anyone, to ask her out for the dance. And yet, no one did. So he fulfilled his side of the bet. There was no way he was letting her leave the night without a smile on her face.

Pyrrha, who he said something careless to. Pyrrha, who he realised he fell in love with at the last possible moment.

Pyrrha... who died.

Where was she? The sky to his sun? Where would he belong now?

He found the answer soon enough. He would never be able to get over the loss, but Ruby pulled him out of his depression, and so did the rest of his team.

He learned the truths that Pyrrha had died for. He resented it. But he could never blame Pyrrha for doing what she believed in.

He resented himself, however, for driving Pyrrha forward. He hated himself even more when his reckless actions nearly got Weiss killed.

Cinder Fall would once again face a pair of eyes full of a burning resolve, Jaune's eyes flickering with gold fire. She hated those familiar eyes. Eyes that had burned itself into her memory. Their death didn't faze them anymore. So, she took their satisfaction away, and instead decided to watch those eyes fall to despair.

Jaune would rush to Weiss' side, his desperation to not lose another loved one activating not only his Semblance, but allowing his already on the surface of awakening Sun Flames to surge forth, amplifying his Semblance even further.

Next to him Ren's Mist Flames would instinctively surround them in an illusion, protecting them from prying eyes, while Nora's Lightning Flames hardened her body in preparation to withstand blows from her enemies.

The remnants of team JNPR was still alive, even though they were broken, and even when they had lost their first Sky. Their resolve was still burning strong. And that was enough to awaken their Dying Wills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who still hasn't gotten over Pyrrha's death? (Me that's who. I'm still salty that they freaking had that episode on Valentine's Day. Worst. Gift. Ever.)
> 
> Also, it was a weird coincidence that I coined Pyrrah a Sky and Jaune a Sun in Burning Remnants. Why was it weird? Well. The first verse of Shine had this specific line:
> 
>  
> 
> _Like a sky with no sun._
> 
>  
> 
> I was kinda laughing when I listened to Shine on spotify and heard this line. I hadn't even intended that connection when I wrote Burning Remnants in the first place. So. I made this line my theme for this chapter, simply titled Shine.
> 
> (I fucking love Arkos I hate that Pyrrha died I still shed a tear whenever I hear Shine and Jaune is so heartbroken in Cold too why Roosterteeth why did you tear this ship apart?!)


	17. Stories – The Seven Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Ok I know its horribly late this was supposed to be up THREE WEEKS AGO but I got addicted to MapleStory again so... Yeah. But this has been sitting in my drive along with 4 other chapters so here ya go. Have some more First Gen shenanigans.

**Stories – The Seven Flames**

Once upon a time, there was a traveller, who wandered the world, researching the multiple legends – The Maidens, The Two Brothers, the like.

One day, the traveller stumbled upon a group of seven people in a clearing, lost and confused. The questions they asked just as baffling. They didn't know what Grimm were, or what Remnant was.

(The traveller tried not to pay attention to the familiar looking blond, seeing no recognition in the young man's eyes)

Then, for reasons unknown, the Grimm attacked, and suddenly, the clearing burst into multi coloured flames. The red flame disintergrated the Grimm. The blue flame slowed the Grimm. The yellow flame healed the group of seven. The green flame defended them. The purple flame multiplied things. The indigo flame created things out of nothing. And the familiar orange flame, burned and petrified the Grimm.

Thanking them for stopping the Grimm, the traveller asked, what were the flames they wielded. The blond explained, that they were flames of the Sky.

"Why Sky?" the traveller asked.

The blond smiled, and instead told him what each flame was called – Storm, Rain, Sun, Lightning, Cloud, Mist, and Sky.

"Why are they named after weather phenomenon?"

The blond smiled and told him why.

_The storm is the o_ _ne that fiercely blows away everything,_

_The rain is the one that washes away everything,_

_The sun is the one that illuminates the sky,_

_The lightning is the one that harshly strikes everything,_

_The floating cloud is the one that cannot be chained down and goes its own way,_

_The elusive mist is the one that cannot be captured,_

_And the sky is the one that colors and engulfs everything._

"That makes no sense," The traveller said.

But before he could ask more, they vanished. The traveller, knew that it was not a dream, but he knew no one would believe him if he said anything. Instead, he wrote it down.

A story to be told, of seven flames, colours of the rainbow, and named after weather.

This is the third of the three stories of the mysterious flames.

...

...

...

" _GIOTTO WHAT THE HELL DID I SAY?!_ "

"Oh, hi Cozart!"

" _I had to hear from Elena that all of you VANISHED._ "

"He messed with the Mare kid again."

"Thank you, G, for confirming this."

"Cozart! We ended up in the same world as last time! And met that traveller again!"

"... Please tell me you didn't end up being attacked by those monsters again."

"Oh we did! And I found out that they are called Grimm! And they like negative emotions!"

"... Alaude. Keep this idiot away from the Mare kid. I don't want this to happen a  _third time_."

"Hn."

"Nufufufu... That world was interesting though, I wouldn't have minded staying a bit longer."

"Daemon. Elena is looking for you.  _Go._ "

"... Fine."

"Knuckle, Asari, was anyone hurt?"

"Not really, Lampo did a good job shielding everyone from the worst of the hits. And Knuckle healed any that got through."

"... That's a relief. Now... Giotto?"

"Yes?"

"No more of Elena's sweets for the next week."

"... This is punishment isn't it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said. First Gen shenanigans. This is the THIRD AND FINAL PART TO THE STORIES SEGMENT OF THE FIC.


	18. True Rebirths - A Sun Brightly Burning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Ages ago there was someone (Takeshi fan) who requested a Ryohei Chapter. Yeah. Guess what. I actually made Vacuo Ryohei. Hope it's up to standard. (But note that this has waaaay more then just Ryohei in it.)

There were days Ryohei Sasagawa was glad he had experience with street brawls, formal fights, and fights for his life thanks to mafia related incidents and being in the mafia itself. It really helped in the dusty streets of Vacuo, where lawlessness reigned, gun fights and brawls between bandits, mercenaries and jobless Huntsmen would break out with just a snap of a finger. With his experience he had a much higher rate of survival compared to most people, Aura or no.

There were also days where Ryohei Sasagawa was relieved that both Irie and Lussaria had hammered into his head the basics of healing with Sun Flames. Directing Sun Flames to heal the wound and  _only_  the wound took practice, and so was ensuring one did not accidentally cause cancer by making certain cells become  _too_  active. It saved a lot of energy and unlike untrained Flames, was at least directed healing. Sure one could heal with Sun Flames without direction, but many found it often exhausted too much energy before it could truely be effective, a drawback Ryohei never experienced thanks the stamina he had. Even so, he wasn't taking chances.

Then there were those days where Ryohei Sasagawa was just grateful to have Kyoko and Hana with him. They either stopped him from entering a fight he was not able to win, or dragged him away from a finished fight so that he could heal. Hana was also there making bets in the sidelines, making sure that they had money to survive. Kyoko, having awakened her Mist Flame and trained it long enough to be useful, was always there to cover their tracks while leaving the fights.

And of course there were days where Ryohei had to question their luck. Today was one of those days, apparently. A group of mercernaries had taken exception to Ryohei winning his fights and Hana winning all the bets she made, surrounding them and closing off all avenues of escape. They couldn't use Kyoko's illusions, none of them wanting to reveal Flames to the populace. Which left them with the only option of fighting back.

"Brats, give us that money you won from us!" One shouted at Hana, who hissed back, "Damn monkey! I won those bets fair and square! Don't blame me for you betting on the wrong person!"

"And ten against two is not EXTREMELY fair!" Ryohei yelled at them, fists raised in preparation for a fight, one that he probably wasn't going to win. The street brawls Hana had bet on were one thing – at least those people tended to stick to hand-to-hand combat or melee weapons. From what he saw, most of the mercenaries were carrying Dust rounds, and probably had their aura's activated, which made the fight even more dangerous for him and Hana.

Guns and weapons were raised and Ryohei stood in front of Hana, hoping to cover her. He really hoped Kyoko had gotten away...

Of course, before a single shot could be fired, shouts were heard coming from the streets.

"Shit! Their back already?!"

"I thought a Grimm of that size would keep them away from town longer!"

"Damn it, let's scram before they figure out we've been messing around in their territory."

"Finally Xanxus returns!"

"About damn time! Damn bandits and mercernaries thinking they ruled the town."

"That damn Liger is back already?!" One of the mercernaries cursed, lowering his weapon and staring at the streets. Then, glaring at the kids, he snarled at his friends, "Let's leave. It isn't worth it incuring that man's wrath."

With that, the mercernaries abandoned what they were doing and ran off. What they didn't notice was Ryohei looking at the streets in slackjawed surprise and Hana's widened eyes in response to the shouts.

"You don't think?" Hana asked Ryohei, who could only shake himself out of stupor and grin back, "It would be EXTREME if it really is Xanxus!"

"Big brother!" Kyoko yelled, waving at them from the roof she had escaped to. "Xanxus and Squalo are here!"

Ryohei  _really_  had to question if their luck was looking up or down. Because it seemed like they had hit an EXTREME jackpot coming to this town. Now, if only they could find his fellow guardians and his Sky...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an evil person aren't I. (Yes I really did add in the Varia)


End file.
